Mission

Established to encourage and support educational success of residents of the West Valley of San Bernardino County, the Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars assists students to achieve their educational goals and dreams by providing financial aid and academic support. The Foundation also advocates for closing the educational achievement gap for all students, as measured by high school completion and college attendance rates.

History

  • The Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars® board is made up of dedicated volunteers from local communities in the West End region of the Inland Empire, currently consisting of 9 Board Members. We are located at 1757 S. Euclid Ave., Ontario, CA 91762. Our Federal Tax-Exempt Status is 501(c)(3) and our Tax ID is 46-4992666.

  • As the nation's most extensive grassroots scholarship program, Dollars for Scholars provides a wealth of student assistance by harnessing the power of community-thousands of volunteers and donors empowering students in their own backyards. The Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars is one of about 500 Chapters nationally and an affiliate of Scholarship America.

  • The Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars is continuing its focus to significantly increase the giving rate to deserving under-represented, low-income students that are first in their family to attend college. A major step forward is our recent Partnership Agreement with Promise Scholars which will vastly increase our exposure to students in K-12. In 2020 the Esperanza Scholarship Foundation will award thirty $1,000 Scholarships to Promise Scholars students that have come through their 20,000-student pipeline.

  • The objectives of the Foundation include:

--Providing financial aid to at least 50-70 low-income under-represented students annually.  

--Partnering with local Colleges and Universities to leverage our funds through matching grants.

--Establishing a permanent funding resource to support our year-round Intern Program for between 3-6 students.

--Maintaining high academic standards and community service to support the Inland Empire (3.5 GPA and 25 hours of community service) for each scholarship recipient.

  • The Esperanza Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars area of focus is "Education." We have raised close to $1.4 million and awarded over 1,000 student scholarships in the Inland Empire, an average of 50-70 students per year. In 2019 the Foundation awarded 38 scholarships but in 2020 the Foundation expects to award between 50-60 scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year. Our geographic area extends from Pomona to San Bernardino and Riverside, where we have awarded Scholarships to under-represented, low-income students that meet our rigorous standards.

  • The Foundation has been endorsed by prominent members of our community, including San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre, Dr. Devorah Lieberman, President, University of La Verne, Dr. Soraya Coley, President, Cal Poly, Pomona, Tomás Morales, President, University of California San Bernardino, former UC Riverside Chancellor France Cordova, Economist John Husing, Chaffey College Governing Board member Gary Ovitt, NFL Hall Of Fame Great Anthony Munoz to name a few.